


See Me, Fear Me!

by Mikey_Jameson



Series: Rising Shadow [5]
Category: Rising Shadow (CPD)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Artificial Intelligence, Betrayal, M/M, Murder, living dead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-10-28 12:10:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20778359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mikey_Jameson/pseuds/Mikey_Jameson
Summary: With Andrew dead and Benjamin missing, Lance and Katt begin the journey of a lifetime to find him.





	1. Electric Love

Lance stared blankly, coming face to face with his deceased father-in-law. He turned back and noticed the portal, the entrance to the real world, was gone. 

Katt took a step forward, as a body fell from a balcony a few feet over. “I don’t suppose you know anything about that?” She said, nodding over towards the limp corpse.

"After everything, I didn't think we'd be seeing murder here." Lance wheeled over to the corpse and looked down, he noticed the victim was missing the bottom half of his body. "What… Happened here?" Lance gasped. 

“Looks like he was torn in half, he must have died on the spot.” She stepped on a book and picked it up, looking inside. 

“Any idea on what this is Pietro?” Lance asked. 

He nodded, “Yes. I was supposed to deliver it to the Creator.”

“And who is that exactly?”

“You do not know of the creator? He is the one who created this beautiful world for us.” Pietro chanted. 

“He who?” Lance said angrily. 

"Outsiders are not permitted to know. You are not a part of this world, and do not belong here. Why have you come?”

“We’re looking for Benjamin.” Lance growled.

He smiled, “I haven’t seen him around.”

Katt ignored his statement. “One last question. How are you still alive?”

Pietro chuckled and walked away, “That is not for you to know outsider. I’ll be taking my leave now.”

Katt sighed and Lance called her over. “What’s up?”

“This body is Grant Hughes, he is…or well was a wildlife excavationist. I also found this.” He said, while holding up a small tray of dust.

“And that is?”

“Macaroon dust that I found on the body, meaning the killer must eat them.”

Katt tilted her head, “Any ideas on who we should we to talk to next?”

“Yeah, I heard from some people passing by that Holly Hopper is around here somewhere.” 

Katt smiled, “Alright. I’ll be back in a bit.”

She wandered around for a bit, until she bumped into a blonde haired woman. She huffed and look Katt up and down, “Watch where you’re going.”

“I’m sorry Miss…”

“Holly Hopper.”

Katt smiled, “Katt Venus of the Concordia Police Squad. I was actually just looking for you.”

“Oh, what for?” Holly said, pretending to listen. 

“We found a body by the entrance. Did you know Grant Hughes by any chance?” Katt asked. 

“No, I don’t believe so. I’ve met quite a few people over the years, so I can’t recall.”

“Well it’s my job to ask you.” Katt moaned. 

“And I don’t care.” Holly said, tapping her earpiece. 

Katt glared at her, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” Holly smirked. 

“For a leader, you’ve got quite a lot of sass.” Katt gasped. 

“I could say the same for you, yet you’re just a police officer.” Holly clicked her fingers dismissively. 

Katt chuckled, “So you assume you’re better because you’re of a higher rank?”

“Naturally.”

Katt smiled and waved, “Well have a good day. I don’t care much for people who think so lowly of others.”

She returned to Lance, still seething with anger. As she walked back over, she spotted something shining on the ground, and picked it up. “Hey Lance, I found this…”

He sighed, “Benjamin’s badge. Surely this means he’s left us, but I’m sure we’ll get him back. Right?”

She smiled, “Of course we will.”

A piece of paper fluttered over and Lance grabbed it, reading it over. His brow furrowed as he read it, and Katt looked over. “What does it say?”

“It’s signed by Andrew. He left this for Benjamin, telling him that they can “be free together”, whatever that means.”

“That doesn’t make sense though, we watched Andrew…” Katt trailed off. 

She sighed and Lance nodded, Katt left in search of Andrew. It didn’t take her long, as she spotted him sitting on a bench. 

Hesitantly, she walked over to him and sighed. “Andrew?”

He looked up and smiled, “Katherine, what a pleasure. How did you get here?”

“We came through the wheel.”

“We?” Andrew puzzled. 

“Lance and I...we came here to find Benjamin. Have you seen him by chance?”

Andrew thought for a moment before he replied, “Not for a few hours, no. I don’t know where he is now, sorry.”

There was an awkward silence between the two before Katt finally spoke, “Andrew...how are you still alive?”

He looked around and motioned for Katt to come closer, and she obliged. “You can’t tell anyone else, but we aren’t real.”

“What do you mean?”

“I figured it out not too long ago, but we’re all AIs. We’ve been given the memories of the originals, but I haven’t the faintest idea why.” He pointed towards a chip on the back of his neck.

“So Andrew is still dead?” The bot lowered his head, and Katt sighed. “I see. Well thanks for your time.”

Katt walked back towards Lance, still shocked by what Andrew told her. Lance looked over at her, “Everything alright?”

She smiled and flipped through the book from earlier once more. “There’s a couple names in here. There’s Alvin and...Joan Carmichael.”

Lance recoiled slightly and sighed, “Could you talk to Joan? I’ll have a chat with Alvin in a bit.”

She snapped the book shut and tucked it under her arm, while looking for Joan. 

Katt ended up finding her at a cafe, drinking from a coffee cup. She sat down at the table and smiled, “Joan Carmichael?”

“That’s me. Can I help you with something?” Joan shouted. 

“Did you know Grant Hughes by chance?” Katt responded, ignoring the volume. 

“Oh, he and I were good friends." Joan rubbed her chin." We haven’t had a decent chat in a while though. How’s he doing?”

She lowered her head, “Unfortunately we found him dead earlier.”

After a few moments, Joan finally spoke. “That’s….I don’t know what to say.”

“Well I found your name in a book, do you happen to know anything about AIs?”

“What’s an AI?”

Katt shook her head, “Nothing important. Tell me, did you know anyone who Grant?”

“Oh a lot of high class people did. He ticked them off one time, but I forget what it was about.” Joan shrugged. 

“I see.” Katt said, while standing up. “Have a good day.”

Joan nodded and Katt spotted Lance on the way back, who was approaching Alvin. She stepped off to the side, as Lance sighed.

“Grandfather…”

Alvin smiled, “Lance! How are you doing my boy?”

“I’m fine. What are you doing here though?”

“It’s the perfect city to live in, why wouldn’t I be here?”

“But you’re supposed to be in prison…”

Alvin chuckled, “Is this some kind of joke boy? This is the city where we can all be free.”

Lance sighed once more, “Did you happen to know Grant Hughes?”

“Never heard of the guy. What makes you ask?” Alvin questioned. 

“I’m here on business and we happened to stumble upon his body.”

“That’s a shame, you can never get a break. Speaking of, I should get going now. Joan is expecting me to meet her at a cafe.” He waved and left, Katt then walked up to Lance’s side and held out an object. He looked over and took it from her, looking it over. “This keychain has a chip.”

“And that is what, exactly?”

He looked over to Katt, while holding it up. “This little device right here must allow someone to keep on living, even after death. Think of it as being revived of sorts.”

“So then the killer must be chipped.”

“Exactly!”

Katt thought for a moment, “You know, Pietro was near the entrance when we got here.”

“Are you suggesting he killed Grant?”

“It’s not a suggestion.”

Lance smiled, “Lead the way.”

Katt and Lance left, shortly stumbling on Pietro near the entrance once more. She crossed her arms, and Pietro huffed. “What are you doing here again, outsider?”

“We’re here to find out why you killed Grant.”

Pietro took a step forward, “We are programmed to deal with troublemakers. If not, then they would bring havoc to our perfect world.” 

“So you admit it then?”

“Of course.” All of a sudden Pietro limped over, and the chip on his neck went dark. Lance sighed, “He shut himself down.” He rubbed the side of his head, “Why does everything have to be so difficult?”

A voice shouted over at them, anger resonated within. “What are you two doing here?”


	2. Ground Breaking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benjamin is back... but for how long?

The two looked over at the source of the voice and found Benjamin glaring at them. 

Lance was shocked, and Katt took a step back. “We…found you!”

Benjamin smiled, “I don’t think you did.” He said, and stepped back towards the nether. 

“Quick, after him!” Lance said, while rolling away from Katt. She ran along beside him, “Where’s he going?”

“It looks like he’s headed for the main office.”

As the two drew closer to the building, Katt tripped and fell face first. Lance helped her up and sighed, “Another body…”

He moved closer towards it and looked it over carefully, “I don’t recognize this body.” 

Katt brushed herself off and picked up a watch, “What about this?”

“That is Vittorio Cappechi’s, I’d recognize it from anywhere.”

As if on cue, a man looked over and shouted at them. “What?”

Katt walked over to him and held up the watch, “This yours?”

“Yes please. Could I have it back?” He said, while reaching for it. 

She held it out of his grasp, “Not until you answer a few questions.”

“Fine.” He said, crossing his arms.

“Do you know who that is over there, by chance?” She said, while pointing to the body. 

“Mother…” He said, while dropping to his knees. “Who would...why?”

“That’s why I’m here.” Katt glanced as a young woman walked by, looking over at them. 

“I’m sorry, but I haven’t the faintest idea who could have done this.” He stood up and exhaled. “If you don’t mind, I’ll be on my way.”

She nodded and headed back over to Lance, “The body is Vittorio’s mother.”

He held up a wallet, “Nina Capecchi, that’s her name.”

“So did you find any other clues?”

He nodded, “I found two actually, and something that might help.”

“And that is?” Katt asked.

“A book and this pin.”

She took the pin and looked it over, “How is this useful?”

“It’s the Capecchi’s insinga, meaning the killer must be a Capecchi. As for the book, it belongs to Franca.” Lance said confidently.

Katt took the book and left, running into a woman who was wandering around, as if in search of something. She tapped her on the shoulder, “Franca?”

The woman looked over and spotted the book. “Oh you found it!” 

“Yes, but why did we find it near Nina?”

“My mother in law? I’ve got no idea why, it was with me at the library earlier.” Franca grinned.

“So Nina was your mother in law? How was your relationship with her?”

Franca shrugged, “It was alright. We weren’t the best of friends, but I didn’t mind.”

Katt handed the book back to Franca and she smiled, “Thanks very much! I hope you find who killed her!” She then left in a haste and Katt rejoined Lance. 

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “This case is getting crazier by the second, and to be honest, I’m getting quite worried about the outcome.”

“Why’s that?”

Before he could speak, a voice came from behind them. “Lance.”

They turned and saw Benjamin standing a fair bit away. 

“Benjamin!” Lance said, rolling forward a bit. Benjamin took a step back, “Don’t move.”

“But why?”

“I’ve been here for about an hour. There’s a strange signal being omitted from here, and it’s right behind you.”

As if on cue, a portal opened and Lucrezia stepped out. 

Benjamin smiled, “So you finally show your face.”

“Of course, but why would you want to track me, of all people?” Lucrezia puzzled.

“You’ve learned to travel back to Concordia, haven’t you?” He asked.

She nodded and Benjamin sighed “Good.”

“Do you want to go back that badly?” She said, while opening a portal back to La Creme.

He shook his head, “Not me, but rather these two.” He said, while pointing at Katt and Lance. “Now you two can go home.”

Katt took a step forward, “We aren’t leaving without you.”

“Yes you are. I won’t be leaving here, and that’s final.”

“Then we’ll stay here as long as it takes!” She shouted, taking Lance by surprise.

He smiled and began to walk back into the shadows of Nullville, “Then I guess it’ll be your funeral.”

Lance looked over at Lucrezia, and she was the first to speak, “So you’re solving the murder of grandma then?”

Katt smiled, “We are, but how did you know about that?”

“Dad told me. He was pretty shaken up after that.” She frowned.

“So why are you hanging around here then?”

“I do believe it’s none of your business.”

“Actually it is.” Katt grinned, and Lucrezia sighed.

“I made a trap, specifically for my mother.” She huffed.

“And why would you do that?”

“My dear mother never liked me, so was too busy with my other siblings.” Lucrezia shrugged.

“That doesn’t sound like a good enough reason to kill someone.”

Lucrezia shrugged and opened a portal, heading towards it. She looked back at the two, “Are you sure you guys don’t want to go back?”

Katt looked over at Lance and nodded, “We’re here to get Benjamin back, and won’t be leaving until we do.”

She smiled, “Dedication. I like that.” She stepped through the portal and it closed behind her.

Lance sighed, “I found this.” He said, while holding up a jar of fireflies. He handed it over to Katt and she read the name on top of the jar.

“Jason Byrd… But he’s not dead, so why would he be here?”

“It must mean that he’s got a death threat of sorts.”

“Someone’s planning to kill Jason…”

“You should go talk to him.” Lance said, and Katt nodded. She found Jason nearby, running around with an empty jar. 

“Jason…”

He looked over and smiled, “Hi Katt! I’m catching bugs, they’re pretty neat, don’t you agree?”

“They are, yes.” 

After a few moments she sighed, and Jason poked her cheek. “Is someone grumpy?”

“Do you know what’s going on here?”

“What do you mean?”

“This world, it’s an exact copy of ours. People who have died are here, but...they’re AIs.”

He smiled, “Oh that’s pretty neat.”

“Why are you here then?”

He shrugged, “No idea.”

She sighed once more and smiled at Jason, “Well have a good day.”

He waved as she left, “See you later!”

On the way back, Katt bumped into someone, and she fell to the ground. The man held out a hand and smiled, “Well hello there Katt.”

“Seamus… but you’re supposed to be in prison.” She grabbed his hand and he helped her up.

He chuckled, “Not if you pay the right guards. What are you doing here by chance?”

“We’re investigating a murder. And you?”

“Hiding from the police of course. They’d never come to a place like this.” He said, while looking over at the dreary landscape.

“Did you know Nina Capecchi by chance?”

“A bit, but I didn’t care for her that much.” He smiled at Katt, “I should get going. Good luck on your investigation.”

Katt walked back over to Lance and he smiled at her. “Good news. I found out that the killer is Utopian. Any ideas on who it could be?”

“Yeah, there is one. When I was talking to Franca, she seemed to know that Nina was dead, but I never mentioned it.”

“Well then, let’s go get our killer.”

The two quickly found Franca, who was sitting on a bench and sketching in her book. She looked up at the two and smiled, “Hello again. Something you need?”

“So you killed Nina?”

“Took you long enough to figure it out.”

“Why did you do it?”

“The Creator told me that if I killed her, they would bring back Giulietta. I miss her so much.”

“Any idea on where the Creator is?” Katt asked.”

Franca shrugged, “I was supposed to meet them at the Nullville Police Department later today.”

“What for?”

“Don’t you know?” Franca smiled. “The cells count as a portal home, so if I get locked in one, I’ll be sent back to the real world.”

“So who is the Creator?”

Franca looked around nervously, and then opened her mouth to speak. “The Creator is…”

And she was cut short as a bullet entered the back of her neck, and her body slumped to the ground.


	3. Cutting Ties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Franca being silenced, Katt and Lance have no choice but to find out why

The two watched as Franca’s body slumped over, and Katt turned around, but there was no one in sight. Lance sighed, “The only lead we had and now it’s gone.”

“Whoever this Creator is, they really don’t want their identity to be known.” Katt huffed. 

Lance saw something shining on the ground and picked it up. “This is a Bonecutter key!”

“And that is?”

“It’s a motorcycle. So the killer must ride of these, and couldn’t have gotten very far without this.”

Holly walked back and grumbled, “What are you still doing here?”

Katt looked over, “I’m sorry, I’m just doing my job, unlike you.”

“Well judging by the looks of it, you’re not doing a very good one.” She said, while motioning towards the body.

“Did you know her?” Katt demanded.

“Nope. I already told you I don’t associate with people lower than I.”

Katt grabbed the key from Lance, “Do you know what this belongs to?”

“Yes, it goes to a Bonecutter. Everyone here knows what it goes to, stupid.”

Without another word, Holly walked away. Katt huffed and tossed the key on the ground, “People can be so difficult these days.”

She took a step towards the body and felt something crunch underneath her feet. She picked up a small blade and looked it over. “Lance, isn’t this…”

“That’s Benjamin’s.” He sighed. “I’ll go talk with him. Meanwhile, can you have a chat with Nancy Courtfall?” He said, while handing Katt a bag of sweets, with a name scrawled on it.

Katt took it and found Nancy hanging around outside a library. “Hello there Nancy.”

“And who do you think you are?” She asked.

“I’m here to ask you a few questions. Did you know Franca Capecchi?” Katt replied.

“No, I didn’t know her. I do have a question for you.”

“That’s not how this works.” Katt spat quickly.

“I don’t care. Now tell me where Benjamin is.”

Katt shook her head, “I don’t know, that’s why we’re here. Do you know where he is?”

“I haven’t seen him in a few hours. Why do you ask?”

“We’ve been looking for him for quite some time. How did you know him?” Katt asked.

“He and I were working together, but then he ran off.”

Katt smiled, “Well if you see him again, do let me know.”

Nancy laughed and began to walk away, “Yeah right. Enjoy your day princess.”

She sighed and found Lance wandering by himself. Katt tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around, “Oh Katt. How did it go with Nancy?”

“Turns out she’s been working with Benjamin. Any luck finding him?”

Lance shook his head, “None yet. I did figure out though that the killer listens to Bollywood music.”

“How’d you find that out?” Katt asked.

Lance held up a small disc, and Katt nodded. “I see.” They entered an open patch of grass and found Benjamin sitting on a bench to the side.

“Benjamin!” Lance said, rolling over to him.

“You guys are persistent. Why can’t you just leave me alone?”

“We aren’t leaving without you. Why are you doing this?”

Benjamin looked over, with tears in his eyes. “Here, I am a god. Here...I didn’t-”

“Didn’t what?”

“I didn’t let Andrew die. If I had arrested Paula alone like we usually do, then he wouldn’t be… dead.” Benjamin said, choking out the sentence.

“But you didn’t know she was planning to kill you.” Lance said, grabbing Benjamin’s hand. 

Benjamin was quiet and Katt sighed, “Let us help you Benjamin. Ever since yesterday, you’ve looked like hell.”

He was confused and looked over at Katt, “But I didn’t see you yesterday. I haven’t seen you since La Creme.”

“But we saw you!” Lance said, visibly confused.

“I don’t know what you saw, but it wasn’t me.” Benjamin said. 

Katt noticed a shadow off to the side and motioned for Lance to look over. The figure darted off and Lance turned back to the bench, and Benjamin was gone once more.

Lance sighed, “He’s gone again. This just keeps getting weirder and weirder.”

Katt picked up a glove off of the ground and noticed an odd smell coming from it. She sniffed it and back away in disgust, “Cyrus Riley.”

“What’s up?” Lance asked.

She held out the glove towards Lance and he backed away as well, “Bye Birch, definitely a cologne Cyrus would use.”

As if on cue, Cyrus walked in, the smell of his cologne taking over the whole area. Katt hesitantly stepped forward, and tossed the glove at him. “You use way too much perfume.”

He looked over at Katt and smiled, “Oh I didn’t realize you were here. Pleasure to see you again Katt.”

“I wish I could say the same. How’d you lose your glove?”

“Oh I like to put them in my back pocket, but they slip out all the time. I’m still missing one though.”

Katt shrugged, “Oh well. By the way, wear less cologne.”

“I can barely smell it. Is it that bad?”

She nodded and he sighed, “Anyways, what are you doing here?”

“We’re here for Benjamin, but we’re also trying to solve a murder.”

“Who died this time?”

“Franca Capecchi, did you know her?” Katt asked.

He shook his head, “I’m afraid not darling. I wish I could be of help, but I’ve got to get going!”

He waved and left, the smell of his cologne trailing behind him. Lance rolled forward and unplugged his nose, “How on earth does he not smell all that?”

Katt shrugged, “No idea. Did you find anything else?”

“Yes, I found this pair of scissors. It had AI blood on it, belonging to Nelly Nullville.”

A woman popped up from behind a bush and looked over at the two. Her skin was bright blue, and she smiled at them. “You called?”

Lance looked over, “You’re Nelly Nullvillle?”

She smiled once more and walked over towards the two, “Yeah, that’s me. Oh hey you found my scissors.”

“Why was your blood on them?” Lance asked.”

“I was trying to make a paper snowflake, and ended up cutting myself. I’m not very good at arts and crafts.”

“So you’re blue.”

“What about it?” She tilted her head.

“Why?” Lance asked.

“Why not?” She quickly replied.

Lance sighed, “So you’re aware that you’re an AI, right?”

“Of course!”

“Have you heard about the murders?” Lance implored. 

Nelly nodded, “Yes, I do. I know everything about this world.”

“Then you know who the Creator is? As a matter of fact, do you know who El Rey is?”

She smiled, “I do, and they’re the one who killed Ms Capecchi.”

“And El Rey?”

“I’m afraid El Rey is one of you. However, I can’t say for fear that Nullville would crumble into dust. Therefore, you must discover this alone.” Without another word, she walked away, leaving Lance stunned.

He looked over at Katt, “So one of us is… But who is it?”

She thought for a moment, “Well there Cyrus, Jason, Benjamin, Aeri, Talmadge, you and me.”

After a few moments, Lance sighed. “Nelly was the last suspect.”

“And I think I know our killer.” Katt said, while smiling. She left and tapped a young woman on the back, who turned around in disgust.

“Just leave me alone, you’re wasting my time.”

“I should have known you of all people created this place.” Katt said.

“Excuse me? I do believe your precious Chief made this place.”

“But he’s not a Utopian.”

Holly sighed, “Fine. It’s pointless denying since you’re so persistent.”

“So what was your motive?” Katt asked.

“Does there need to be one?”

“I guess not.” Katt said. “But you’re still under arrest.”

Holly reached a hand up behind her head and smiled, “I think not.” She then pulled out a wire and she slumped to the ground, deactivating herself. 

Lance sighed, “So she was an AI too? At least now we know that Holly was the creator.”

A voice came from behind them and Benjamin walked up next to Katt. “So you’ve discovered the truth.”

Lance frowned. “So you’re back. What do you have to say before you disappear again?”

“Nothing, actually. I’m here to let you know that I’ve decided to come back home.”

Katt looked at him in shock, “Are you serious?”

Benjamin nodded and he smiled at the two, “Of course. We still have work to do though, so let’s figure out where we’re going next.”

“Well shouldn’t we find the real Holly?” Katt said.

“I found this, which might help actually.” Benjamin said, while holding up a small book. “I took a look through this and found out it belongs to Holly. It mentioned the colosseum nearby, so I guess we should head there.”

The two smiled and Benjamin led the way. He looked back at the two and sighed, “We don’t know what’s waiting for us in there.”

Katt smiled, “We’re right behind you, as always.” Lance nodded in agreement and Benjamin chuckled, throwing open the doors. He walked in and the two followed behind, when all of a sudden Benjamin’s body hit the ground, lifeless.


	4. A Touch of Sisterly Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benjamin's life is snuffed out in the black depths of Nullville. Is there any hope left for the mission at hand, and without his husband, best friend and confidante, will Lance ever solve the mystery of SOMBRA?

Lance cried out as Benjamin fell lifelessly to the ground. “No, we just got him back!”

“We should look for clues.” Katt sid, while looking around. 

A man walked up behind Lance, putting a hand on his shoulder. He sighed, and Lance looked back at Cyrus.

“I can take over from here if you’d like?” Cyrus asked, to which Lance nodded. 

Lance left and Cyrus walked over towards the body, picking up a spear, covered in Benjamin’s blood. He sighed, “Did you find anything darling?”

“Only this pocket knife.” Katt said. He took it and looked it over, “This is Ludmila’s. Be careful when you talk to her, after all, her brother just died.”

She nodded and left, quickly finding Ludmila. “Hello there Ludmila.”

“Oh hi. What brings you here?”

“Well we were looking for Benjamin.” Katt said.

“How’s my little brother doing?”

After a few moments of silence, she sighed. “He’s dead.”

Ludmila took a step back in shock, “He’s...dead? Who would do such a thing?”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out.”

“I’m sorry...I just have to go.” She said, wiping her eyes. 

Ludmila ran off, leaving Katt alone, and she sighed. Cyrus smiled as she walked back over, “How’d it go sweetheart?”

She shrugged, “She ran off. I did find this on the way back.” Katt said, while holding up a hat. 

He smiled and held up a remote, “Well I found this, and learned that the killer is a woman. I can take the hat and interrogate whoever it belongs to. Meanwhile, can you go find Joan?”

As if on cue, Joan stepped forward. “What?”

“Perfect timing.” Katt smiled. 

“For what exactly?”

“I need to ask you a few questions. This yours?” Katt said, holding up the remote.

Joan nodded, “Yes, it goes to my rifle. Can I have it back?”

“Nope. So Benjamin is dead, do you happen to know anything about that?”

“Of course I wouldn’t.” She huffed, and lunged for the remote.

Katt held it out of her grasp and smiled, “So what have you been up to all day?”

“I was practicing target shooting, before I lost my remote.”

“Sounds like you were preparing for something.” Katt said.

“I enjoy hunting, so what? We’ve all got to find a way to live somehow.”

“Well have a good day.” Katt said, and walked away.

Meanwhile, Cyrus approached a young woman and tapped her on the shoulder. “Hi, are you Sapphire by chance?”

She smiled, “I am.”

He handed her hat back, “It seems like you dropped this.”

“Well thank you. The wind blew it off earlier, and I wasn’t about to go running around to look for it.”

Cyrus tipped his hat and smiled, “It’s my pleasure. Speaking of, have I seen you somewhere before?”

“I don’t believe so, no. And you are?”

“Cyrus Riley. I’m here investigating a murder. Were you by the colosseum earlier?”

She shook her head, “No, I was on my way to the cafe. I should get going, sorry!”

“That’s perfectly fine. Thank you for your time Miss Sapphire…”

“Nuevo.”

“What a lovely name.” He said, tipping his hat at her. “Have a good day darling.”

She left and Cyrus returned to the colosseum, to find Katt crouched next to the body. She looked over at him and held up a small piece of plastic. “The killer is chipped, or well...was. I doubt they’ll last long without the other half.”

He nodded and handed an item over to Katt, “This look familiar to you?”

“These are Giulietta’s.” She said, while examining the glasses. “I’ll go talk to her.”

She found Giulietta sitting alone outside a library, her nose buried in a book. Katt sat next to her on the bench.

“Oh hi! It’s been a while.” Giulietta said, while smiling.

“Yeah...it has.”

She looked around, “Where’s Benjamin? I’d love to catch up with him!”

“He’s dead…” Katt sighed. “That’s why I’m here.”

“You think I did it?”

“No, but we can’t rule anyone out.” Katt said.

“Well ask away then, I’m glad to help.”

“These are your glasses, yeah?”

She nodded and took them from Katt, “They are. Where did you find them?”

“Cyrus said he found it near the Mayor’s office. Any reason they were there?”

“Well I dropped them because I was in a rush.”

“And where were you rushing to?” Katt asked.

“Here of course! My favorite author just published a new book, and I wanted to be here when the library opened.”

“Is it any good at least?” 

She nodded while putting her glasses on, “It will be, now that I can see better.”

Katt stood up and smiled, “Well enjoy your book.” She returned to Cyrus, who had a worried look on his face.

“You look upset. What’s up?” Katt asked.

He held up a small badge and sighed, “The killer is Utopian, and I also found this note.” He said, while handing a piece of paper to Katt.

“Benjamin must be eliminated… But what is Josh Byrd doing here?”

Cyrus shrugged, “I haven’t the faintest idea. It’s best you go talk to him, yeah?”

She started to walk away when a figure darted by, and she ran after it. 

After a few moments, she pinned them to a wall, twisting an arm behind their back. 

Josh groaned, “Hey! Don’t break my arm, I need that you know.”

“Well where were you running off to in such a panic?”

“Someone was following me! They were dressed in all black too!” He shouted.

“How’d you even get here?” Katt asked.

“I don’t know! You have to let me go before they find me!”

“Nope. Now Benjamin is dead, I don’t suppose you’d have anything to do with that?”

“I’m not that stupid.” He said, rolling his eyes.

“Well it seems you are, considering you left a threatening note about Benjamin. You even signed your name on it, how lovely.”

He was quiet and Katt spoke once more, “So want to tell me what that note was about?”

“Yeah, I’ll tell you. He deserved to die, after he pissed me off.”

“Last I checked, you can’t kill someone for such a stupid reason, let alone get away with it.”

He glared at her, “I didn’t kill him.”

“We’ll see about that.” Katt said, letting him go. He ran off, and she sighed, heading back over to Cyrus. 

He looked over at her as she walked over and smiled, “Joan Carmichael.”

“What about her?”

Lance rolled up, “I’ll take this arrest.” He led the way, and the two followed a fair distance behind.

He found Joan sitting by herself near a pawn shop. “Joan…”

She looked over and smiled, “Nice to see you too Lance. What brings you here?”

“You… you killed my husband.” He said, choking out the sentence.

“Oh don’t be ridiculous. Where’s your proof?”

“You’re chipped, aren’t you?” Lance asked.

“And what if I am?”

“You’re also a Utopian, and a female one at that.” He said, not missing a beat.

“Fine, I killed Benjamin. You happy?”

“Don’t you dare say his name.” Lance shouted.

She smiled, “Why not? After all, he’s a disaster to this city!”

Lance raised his voice as he spoke, “He’s the greatest man who ever lived!”

Joan stood up abruptly, “He’s the reason that all disaster plagues this world! After all he is-” 

She was cut off as her chip fried, and fell to the ground. Lance groaned, when all of a sudden, a figure in black walked up towards the group. He looked over at Lance, and Katt took a step forward, putting a hand on Lance’s shoulder.

“Lance, is something wrong?” She asked.

He sat in silence, and she tried once more. “Lance?”

“He’s been here the whole time…” Lance choked out. “You think I wouldn’t recognise those big brown eyes?”

“He who?” Katt said, looking over at the figure, as they began to slowly pull the mask off of their face.


	5. The Ultimate Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confronted by his fiancé and son, can Benjamin finally put the past behind him?

Katt looked over in shock, at the figure standing before them. 

“Benjamin...is it really you?”

He smiled, revealing hidden bruises and cuts on his face. “Of course it is. I’m the real one, unlike that imposter.”

“But where have you been all this time?” Lance asked.

“I was preoccupied…” He said, scratching his stubble. 

“Ben… are you okay? You’ve got bandages, what happened?” Katt asked.

“Nothing for you to fret about.” He said, almost brushing her off. 

She put a hand up to his face, while looking him in the eyes. “Ben… You can trust us.”

“Ow…” He shouted, flinching at the touch, as he did, her grip on his face caused the bandages to come loose. His face was covered completely in thick stubble, cuts and dark black bruises. He didn’t seem to notice as Lance slipped away. “Look, it’s simple, I need your help alright?”

“With what exactly?” She asked.

“I want to go home, you know that.” He began. “But in order to do so, I need to find the map to Nullville’s throne.” 

“A throne? And what exactly are we looking for?”

“The lost Utopian Base… it’s stored in there.” He sighed. “Can you help?”

She looked him up and down for a few seconds, before nodding. “Of course. Where do we start?”

“I’ve only discovered that we need to head to the colosseum, I have a passcode but that’s all so far.” He said as he started walking. As they arrived at the colosseum, he pressed the first button, as he did a pile of bones fell out of a trapdoor and surrounded them. 

“Is it that time of year again?” Katt asked, looking at the bones.

“I suppose it’s our favourite time.” He sighed. “We better solve this before we move on.”

She shrugged and picked up a broken watch off of the ground. Benjamin snatched it out of her hand and looked closely.  
“Funny… the watch is not only transcribed, but it tells me who the victim is too.” He laughed. “Good luck in the future son - U Okstant. Meaning the victim is the Belarusian Baron, Leonard Okstant, Katt, talk to Uto.” He knelt down to begin the autopsy, but as Katt left, she noticed he wasn’t really doing much at all.

She bumped into a man, who was ornately dressed for the dreary landscape. Katt put on her best smile and tapped him on the shoulder, “Uto?”

He turned and looked over at her, “And who do I have the pleasure of speaking to?”

“Katt Venus.” She said.

“What a lovely name. What brings you here today?”

“We found Leonard’s body.”

He seemed shocked, “He’s dead… no that can’t be.”

“Unfortunately so. Do you know anyone who’d want him dead?”

“No, I don’t think so. He was friendly with practically everyone he met.”

“Did he ever upset anyone, by chance?” She asked.

Uto shook his head, “No…”

She put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him, “Don’t worry. We’ll find out who did this.”

“Thank you very much.” Uto said, as he thanked Katt and walked away.

On the way back, she bumped into a man and fell to the ground. He held out a hand and smiled, “‘Sorry about that Katt.”

“Nathaniel. What exactly are you doing here?” She said, ignoring his held out hand and getting up.

“I do believe that’s none of your business.”

She glared at him, “It is now.”

“Fine. I was looking for Benjamin.” He said, as he started to walk away.

Katt stepped in front of him, “I wasn’t done talking to you. Now, you were saying?”

“Am I not allowed to have a chat with Benjamin?”

“Says the man who tried to kill him, when he found out you were a serial killer.”

“Look that was a long time ago!” Nathaniel said, raising his voice.

“I don’t care.”

“I just want to talk to him, can’t you at least allow me that?” He asked.

She glared at him, “I cannot. Leave and stay out of the way.”

He sighed and left, and Katt walked back over towards Benjamin. She found him standing around idly and flicked him on the arm. 

“What are you relaxing for?”

He rubbed his arm. “Why did you do that?”

“You were spacing out. Are you okay?”

“Of course! Anyways I found this.” He said, while holding up a small bag with a tag on it. “It belongs to Adam Jameson.”

“Are you sure you’re okay? You do remember that Adam is your son, right?” Katt asked.

“Yes, perfectly fine, just a bit tired.”

She crossed her arms, “Good, then go talk to him. I’ll stick around and look for more clues.”

Benjamin wandered away and found a young boy sitting on a bench nearby. He sat down next to him and smiled. “Hi Adam.”

Adam smiled over at him, “Hi daddy.”

“We found your bag by the way.” He said, gently handing it to Adam. 

“Oh thank you! There was some pretty important stuff in here.” He said, pulling out a small toy boat.

“Well I’m glad it’s back where it belongs.”

“Where did you find it?” Adam asked.

“Oh we found it over by the colosseum.”

“That big scary building? I never go near there, there’s a lot of bad looking people that hang out around there.” 

Benjamin smiled, “Good plan. Well I should get going, have a good day.” 

Adam waved as Benjamin walked away, and back over to Katt. 

Katt stuck out her tongue and smiled, “Well look who’s back. I found a Utopian pin nearby, so the killer must be one of those.”

“Is that all?” He asked.

“Well I also found this wallet, which belongs to Juno Martsou.”

He seemed confused, “Who?”

Katt shrugged, “No idea, but I’ll go have a chat with them.”

She walked along the streets until she found a man who matched the ID. “Juno?”

He turned and faced her, “Yes?

“This your ID?”

“Indeed it is. Where did you find it?” He asked.

“By the colosseum.”

“Oh, I was walking by there earlier. My wallet must have slipped out.” He said, as Katt handed him back the ID.

“Have you heard of Leonard Okstant?”

Juno thought for a moment, before he shook his head. “The name doesn’t sound familiar, no. What makes you ask?”

“We found him dead by the colosseum earlier.”

“Ah I see. So you’re part of a police force then?”

Katt nodded, and he smiled. “Well it was a pleasure to meet you, but I have to get going now.”

He quickly left and Katt began to walk back over, but something crunched underneath her feet. She looked down to see a phone, and gently picked it up. After scrolling through it for a few moments, she went back over to Benjamin.

“Here catch.” She said, tossing the phone at him.

He reached for it, but was too late as the phone fell to the ground and cracked. “Oops, sorry.”

Katt sighed and picked it up, looking over at Benjamin. “Anyways, I scrolled through it and this is probably the killer’s phone. Most of the messages are in Belarusian though.”

“So the killer speaks it then!”

“Uhh yeah. That’s what I just said.”

Benjamin laughed and ran a hand through his hair. “Of course. While you were gone, I found this.” He said, holding up a book.

She took it from him and looked inside, “This belongs to Aeri Jubili. I’ll go have a chat with her.”

After a few moments, she spotted Aeri sipping a cup of tea at a local cafe. Katt slid into the seat across from her and smiled, “Hi Aeri.”

“Well hello there Katt. What are you up to?

“Just investigating another case, the usual.”

Aeri chuckled, “Who died this time?”

“Leonard Okstant. Did you know him?”

“No, I didn’t. Where are the others?”

“Ah Benjamin is back at the colosseum, and Lance is off who knows where.”

“Well I guess you should get back to work then, yeah?” Aeri nodded.

“Yeah. By the way, do you speak Belarusian?”

“I do, what about it?”

“Just asking.” Katt smiled, as she stood up from the table. “Enjoy your day.”

She walked back over to Benjamin, who tossed a notebook to the side. Katt picked it up, “Do you mind? We need all the clues we can get.”

“It wasn’t very useful.”

“I think otherwise.” She said, flipping through the book. “This belongs to Daniel.”

Benjamin blankly looked at her, “Who’s that?”

Katt worriedly looked over at him, “He was your fiance…”

“Oh right! Can you talk to him for me? I’ve got to look for more clues.”

She tucked the notebook under her arm and found Daniel nearby, his nose buried in a newspaper. 

“Daniel Briggs?”

He looked over and smiled, “Well hello there. And you are?”

She handed him the notebook, ”Katt Venus. I work in the CPD.”

“So you work with Benjamin?” He asked, to which she nodded.

“I do. Those are lovely drawings you have by the way.”

“Thanks, I was going to give them to a friend.”

“Friend as in?” She asked.

He blushed a bit as he spoke, “Benjamin. I had a rose for him earlier, but it flew away in the wind.”

“What for?”

“Well he was my fiance.” Daniel said. 

“Was is the correct term, yes.”

He seemed confused, “What do you mean?”

“He’s married now, to Lance Carmichael.”

“Lance? I wasn’t expecting that…” He said, his mood saddening.

Katt stood up, “Yes, well I should get going. Sorry to bother you.”

He waved lightly as she walked away, and over to Benjamin. He looked up at her and smiled, “The killer drinks sangria.”

“And how’d you find that out?”

“I found this.” He said, holding up a tiny umbrella. “There was liquid that soaked into it, and it was sangria.”

“Lovely. However, I have a hunch of who did it.”

“Oh really?” He said.

She walked away and tapped a man on the shoulder. 

“Can I help you?” Juno asked. 

“So you killed Leonard Okstant?”

“I did what now?”

“Last I checked, you spoke Belarusian, right?”

He nodded and upon realizing, quickly shook his head side to side. 

She smiled and he sighed, “Fine, you caught me.”

“Why’d you do it?” She asked.

“I didn’t like him, plus the Creator also told me to.” Juno shrugged.

“So if they told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?”

He thought for a moment and then nodded, “Yeah. I would.”

“Well now you’re under arrest, so go tell that to your Creator.”

“She’ll find out, don’t worry.” He said, and fell onto the ground. Katt checked for a pulse and found none. Frustrated, she kicked the body, and Benjamin took a step forward.

“We can’t forget the Creator is in control here, we have no power whatsoever.” Benjamin explained.

“Whatever, let’s just get into the stupid colosseum.” She shouted.

“Yeah let’s…” He trailed off seeing Daniel and Adam. “But there’s something I need to to do first.”

He walked over but stopped when he saw the two of them. Adam was rolling a ball towards Daniel, who pretended not to catch it, before rolling it back. The two seemed happy… as if they’d never died.

“Daniel?” Benjamin said, sitting near them.

“Join us.” Daniel said, rolling him the ball.

“Over here daddy!” Adam shouted.

“Daniel… you’re dead.” Benjamin said, rolling the ball towards Adam.

“So this isn’t real?” Daniel said solemnly, looking at his hand.

“Oh it is, what we shared… was perfect.” Benjamin said with a tear in his eye. “But it’s over now, you’re dead and I moved on.” Benjamin lifted his hand, showing a wedding ring.

“You’re married?” Daniel sighed. “So you got your happily ever after.” He looked down.

“And you’ll get yours.” Benjamin replied, he grabbed the ball and tossed it away from them.

“Just one more kiss before you go?” Daniel asked.

“Oblivion won’t be so bad,” Benjamin began. “I’ll be there one day.” Benjamin reached a hand to Daniel’s neck, pulling him into a deep kiss. As the two began to separate, he pulled out Daniel’s chip.

“Benjamin…” Daniel said as his eyes went dark. 

“Goodnight sweet prince.” Benjamin said, standing up and heading to Adam who was still facing away.

“And goodnight… sweet child.” He pointed his gun at Adam’s chip and pulled the trigger. Finally closing the door on his life before Concordia.


	6. The Desolate Lair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What good can come from finding the map?

The three walked to the colosseum, and as they walked in, were met with a scream coming deep from the ground. Benjamin ran ahead of them, and was met with a body at the entrance to the basement. He sighed and looked down at the body, which was slashed into bits.

Katt walked up behind him, “Any idea on who she is?”

“Yeah, I’ve seen her around. Marnie Nightingale, she was the Queen of the Utopians.”

“Did you know her?”

He shook his head quickly, “Not very well, no.”

She took a step forward and something crunched underneath her shoe. Katt leaned down and picked up a book, one of its pages torn. Benjamin looked over and sighed, “Could you not?”

“Excuse me?”

He snatched the book from her and read it over, “This is Cesar’s, go talk to him.”

Katt wordlessly walked away, and found Cesar sitting outside of the colosseum. He smiled as she sat down next to her, “Well hello again darling. What brings you here?”

“We found your book.”

“Oh thank you very much. I meant to return it to the library earlier, but lost it.” He said.

“You seem to lose stuff often, don’t you?” She asked.

He chuckled and looked inside the book, “Mhm, it’s a bad habit of mine.”

“So did you know Marnie Nightingale?”

“No, unfortunately not. I assume she’s the one who died?” He asked, to which she nodded.

“Of course.” 

He stood up, while tucking the book underneath his arm. “Well I should get going. Good luck in your investigation darling.”

Cyrus walked away, and Katt returned to Benjamin, to find him crouching on the ground. He looked over at her and grinned, holding up two items. “I found these.”

“And?” Katt asked.

“Well I can tell the killer chews gum, I found residue from some on the blade. As for this cap, it belongs to a dairy farm nearby.”

She snatched the hat from him, “Just tell me who I need to talk to.”

“His name is Stox McConnull.”

Katt walked away and headed over to the local dairy farm, where she found a man tossing a bale of hay into an enclosure. “I assume you’re Stox?”

He looked over, wiping sweat off his forehead. “That I am! What brings you here today?”

She handed his hat over to him, “I’m here to ask a few questions, if you don’t mind?”

“Of course I don’t, ask away!”

“Did you know Marnie Nightingale?” She asked.

He nodded, while blowing a bubble from his gum. “She and I were friends back in the day.”

“Do you know anyone who’d want her dead?”

Stox thought for a moment, “Not that I know of. Now if you don’t mind, I have to get back to work. These cows aren’t going to feed themselves.”

She nodded and walked away, picking something up on her way back. Once back at the colosseum, she found Benjamin lounging around and flicked him on the forehead. 

He yelped and looked over at her, “Why did you do that?”

“I’m doing my job, but you don’t seem to be doing yours.” She said, holding up a pin. “Our killer is Utopian.”

“Well good for you. I also found this.” He said, tossing over a small notebook. “This belongs to Edgbaston Gryphin, he was our wedding planner.”

She caught the book and left the room, only to find a man pacing outside. She tapped him on the shoulder, “Edgbaston?”

“Yes? Sorry I’m a bit busy at the moment.”

“Doing what exactly?” She asked.

“I’ve lost my notebook. That had all my appointments in it!”

She held up the notebook and handed it back to him, “Well it’s your lucky day then.”

“Thank you very much!” He said, and started to leave.

“Actually, I had a few questions for you.”

“Oh, sure!”

“Did you know Marnie Nightingale?” She asked.

“Oh I do! She’s a wonderful woman, isn’t she?”

Katt nodded, “Unfortunately we found her dead earlier.”

“No, that can’t be… Marnie is...dead?” He said, taking a step back.

She reached out to put a hand on his shoulder, but he ran away, leaving her alone.

“So much for asking him questions.” She said, and walked back into the colosseum. As she neared the room, she heard Benjamin talking to someone else, and stood outside the door.

“Come on Benji, why are you acting weird?”

“You died when I was three.” He said.

Julie chuckled, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I shocked you. I heard you were in town and wanted to see how you were doing.”

“So did you know her?”

“Oh that woman you mentioned earlier? No, I didn’t unfortunately.” Julie said, while sighing. 

“So why are you here, really?” Benjamin asked.

“Can’t a mother say hi to her own son?”

Benjamin was silent and Julie sighed once more, taking a step towards the door. She looked at Katt standing outside and smiled. “Oh, and who are you? Are you my darling Benji’s wife?”

“I’m his colleague, that’s all.” Katt said, stepping to the side.

He looked over at her as she walked in the room, and Julie smiled. “Well that’s a shame, you two would look lovely together. Have a nice day.”

After she had left, Benjamin sighed and Katt looked over. “So anything new?”

“Yeah, our killer works with chemicals. I found a trace of them on the body earlier.”

Katt took a step forward and something caught her eye on the ground. She picked up a small dagger, and looked it over. 

Benjamin looked over, “Oh that belongs to Stan Mitchells.”

“And you know that because?”

“I’ve seen it around before, obviously.” He said, rolling his eyes.

Katt tossed the dagger and it stuck into the wall, she left without another word. She found him sitting in a park, and sat down next to him. 

“So you’re Stan.”

“And you are?” He asked.

“I’m here to ask a few questions.”

He sighed, “What about?”

“Did you know Marnie?”

“Nightingale? Of course I did.” He said.

“Were you close with her? Or have you just heard of the name and that’s all?” She asked.

“Oh I just heard of the name. Never knew her on a personal basis.”

Katt looked over at Stan’s hand, which was bandaged. “What happened to your hand?”

He shrugged, “I was fooling around with some chemicals the other day and got careless. It should be fine within a few days.”

“That’s slightly dangerous, one wrong move and who knows what can happen.” She said, while standing up.

“Of course, enjoy your day.”

She nodded and left, returning to Benjamin who was asleep in a chair. Katt sighed and bumped the chair, causing him to fall down. 

He awoke in a panic, “What the-”

“Come with me.” Katt said.

“And where are we going exactly?”

She walked towards the door, “I’ll go arrest the killer by myself then. Enjoy your nap.”

A few moments later, she found herself at the farm once more. Stox looked over and smiled, “Well hello again. Back to ask more questions?”

“I am. What I’d like to know is why you killed Marnie, especially since you two used to be friends.”

“I’d never kill a person.” He said, avoiding her gaze.

“Something tells me otherwise.”

He leaned on the fence, “Why?”

“Aren’t you an AI?” 

“I am, but how do you know that?” He asked.

She smiled, “I have my ways. So why’d you do it?”

“Holly wants a perfect world, it’s our job to keep it that way. We get rid of troublemakers, and keep her happy. It’s a great deal, don’t you think?” Stox smiled and clicked a finger. 

Before Katt could respond, Benjamin appeared before her and smacked Stox hard, he fell hard against the stone floor and Benjamin smiled. 

"Enough out of you, we made it…" He grabbed Katt and pulled, pressing her hand against a panel. 

She looked over in confusion, “Benjamin… what the hell are you doing?”

"You're useless to me now…" He walked into the newly opened room without looking back. Katt looked at him, rage getting the better of her and she walked in after him. 

"Listen here you little sh…" She stopped herself when she saw Benjamin standing over the table, laughing. 

"You really haven't caught on have you?" Benjamin sneered. 

"No… Now tell me!" Katt demanded. 

"I needed the handprint of a Concordia Police officer." He laughed, grabbing the map. As he headed towards the exit Katt ran after him. 

"But you're the Chief!" She shouted before he slapped her, knocking her to the ground. 

"You stupid girl!" He shouted, pulling the bandages off. "I was never Benjamin!" 

"It… can't be possible." Katt choked as he shimmied out of the outfit. 

"Holly Hopper… Master of disguise." Holly laughed wickedly and left. "See you at the altar Venus. Benjamin is about to give himself to Nullville. And one human life is all I need to allow Nullville to engulf the real world." 

"My Blessed Utopia is born!"


	7. May God Have Mercy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family. Takes care. Of family.

Katt and Lance raced as fast as they could, Katt trying desperately to remember where the Altar stood, she rubbed her face, eager for revenge. 

As they arrived, they found Benjamin sitting on the throne, beard fully grown, with a metal crown on his head. He sat almost still as the two approached. But as they moved to speak his head fell backward, unmoving. Nearby lay a body, the two raced over to it. 

Lance looked down at the body and sighed, “Cesar’s dead…”

Katt leaned down and picked up a small syringe, filled with a familiar green goo. “Found our weapon. Looks like someone’s using Chemical Q again, the killer must know Jake then.”

He nodded and sighed, “That syringe belongs to Ludmila. Can you?”

She smiled and walked away, glancing at Benjamin as she left. Upon leaving, she found Ludmila at a nearby store, and tapped her on the shoulder.

“Oh Katt. It’s nice to see you.”

“Of course. I have a few questions to ask you.” Katt said.

“I'll be happy to answer as best I can!”

“We found a syringe of yours with Chemical Q in it. Care to explain?" Katt asked.

Ludmila fidgeted a little, and looked over at her. “Nothing special, really.”

“I think otherwise. After all, Chemical Q is still unstable and can kill someone.”

She looked around nervously and sighed, “Fine. I was planning to kill Holly with it.”

“Well looks like that didn’t work out well.”

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“We found Cesar dead earlier, from Chemical Q.” Katt said, looking over at her.

Ludmila took a step back, “And you think...I did it?”

“We aren’t sure yet on who killed him, but you’re a suspect at the moment.”

“I understand.” She said, while nodding. “I have to get going, but if you need to ask anymore questions later, I’ll be happy to help.”

She quietly left the store and walked down the street, leaving Katt’s view. 

Katt sighed and returned to Lance, who seemed frustrated. He kicked a wall, and a panel slid open. 

“So is our new plan to break everything?” Katt said, while smiling.

“I didn’t mean to.”

She stepped into the room and looked around, followed by Lance shortly after. Katt held up a small stuffed dog, while Lance grabbed a book.

He gently handed the book to Katt, “This belongs to Julie. As for this plush...it’s Michael’s, I’ll go have a chat with them.”

The two left and parted ways, Katt found Julie dipping her feet in a pond. The moment she saw Katt, she smiled and motioned for Katt to sit down next to her.

“It’s nice to see you again. I don’t believe I caught your name.” Julie said.

“It’s Katt Venus.”

“Ahh what a pretty name. What brings you here?”

“Cesar is dead.” Katt said, and Julie looked over in shock.

“Is he really?” She asked, to which Katt nodded.

She sighed, “Cesar was always bright, almost as smart as Benjamin.”

“Well do you know anyone who would want him dead?”

Julie shook her head, “Not that I can think of.”

“Do you know Jake Burline by chance?”

“Oh you mean that tall man? He and I chatted a few times.”

Katt stood up, wiping the dust off of her pants. “Well thank you for your time.”

She found Lance talking to Michael on the way back, and hung out a distance away.

Michael smiled, “So what are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing. How did you even get here?”

“A lady opened a portal for me after I asked very nicely. I thought if I stopped the Utopians, that Benjamin would come home.” He said.

Lance rubbed his forehead, “You do know you’re too young for this, right?”

“No I’m not! After all, at least I can chase criminals.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Lance shouted, and Michael chuckled.

“So why are you talking to me?” Michael asked.

“Cesar is dead.”

“Do you really think I could be able to murder that giant idiot?” Michael smirked.

Lance sighed, “Just stay close by, it’s dangerous here.”

Katt walked over and put a hand on Lance’s shoulder. “He’s right. You shouldn’t have come here, you could have gotten hurt.”

Michael stuck his tongue out at her and ran off, Lance sighed. “That kid…”

“I found this, if that helps.” She said, handing him a small screwdriver. 

He carefully looked over it, and handed it back to Katt. “This belongs to Nelly. I’ll go back and look for more clues. Also keep in mind that the killer is probably Utopian again.”

She nodded and was able to quickly find Nelly, her blue skin standing out among the dull landscape. 

Nelly waved, “Hello again! Another murder?”

“Of course. I thought you were supposed to be protecting Nullville?” Katt asked.

“I’m only one person, there’s so much I can do at a time. So who died?”

“Cesar Braun, did you know him?”

She thought for a moment, “I’ve seen him around, but I didn’t know him.”

“Well did you see anything suspicious lately?” Katt asked.

“Yeah, I did see Holly earlier running around. She looked pretty funny.”

“And do you know where she is now?”

“Nope!” She said, while smiling. “I should get going, see you later!”

Nelly skipped away and Katt sighed, rejoining Lance once more. He sighed and wheeled around the room. 

“Something bothering you?”

He looked over at her, “This place is spotless. Someone came while we were gone and cleaned it up.”

She looked over and climbed up the stairs, and Lance looked over at her. “What are you doing?”

“I’m checking on Benjamin obviously.” She said, while putting a finger up to his neck. After a few moments, she breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the steps.

“Is he okay?” Lance asked.

She nodded, “Yeah, he’s still got a pulse, but unresponsive. God that machine is awfully loud.”

Lance looked over, “Oh I didn’t even notice that.” He wheeled over and looked at the machine for a few moments, before he sighed. “I don’t have a clue how to work this thing.”

“Try kicking it again, see if that works?”

“Or I could just unplug it…” He said, wheeling over to the wall. 

“Are you sure? We don’t know what that thing does.”

Without hesitation, he ripped the plug out of the wall and the machine fell silent.

Katt was the first to speak, “Well that was anticlimactic. I was expecting at least an explosion of sorts.”

“Well it was better than your idea of breaking it.”

A voice came from behind her, “I’d appreciate if you didn’t break my things. What are you two even doing here?”

Katt looked over at Benjamin, who had his arms crossed, a cold look in his eyes. “We were looking for you, idiot.”

“Rude much? Last I checked, I didn’t ask you to come looking for me.”

Lance rolled up to the edge of the stairs, “It was our own choice.”

Katt nodded and Benjamin looked over at him, “And why are you here exactly?”

She pointed over towards the body on the floor, “Well I don’t suppose you know anything about that?”

“No, I don’t.” He said, tightly gripping the armrests. “You two need to leave.”

“Yeah no. You’re coming with us.”

Benjamin smiled, “No I’m not.”

“Why not?” Lance said, confused. 

“I don’t want to go back, at least here Andrew didn’t die.”

Katt took a step forward, “Benjamin...none of us knew what was going to happen that day.”

“I don’t care! Just leave me be.”

Lance sighed and motioned for Katt to follow her, and the two left the room. Katt slumped onto the ground, “What do we do now?”

“We arrest our killer.” He said.

“You seem confident.”

“That’s because I have a hunch who did it. I found out the killer belongs to the Braun family.”

Julie walked in and smiled at Katt, “Hi again.”

“Speak of the devil.” Lance said, wheeling over to her.

“Oh can I help you?”

“Why’d you kill Cesar?” Lance said, getting to the point. 

“Took you long enough.” She left the room, and the two followed her.

Benjamin stood up as Julie walked in, and she smiled. “Hello darling.”

Katt put a hand on her shoulder, “We weren’t done talking.”

“Can you blame me for wanting to have an immortal family?”

“You killed Cesar, deprived him of living a full life.” Katt said.

Julie smiled, “Well, it doesn’t matter now, does it? After the ritual, we’ll all be together again.”

"But mom… You didn't have to do this." Benjamin said, now free of the machine. 

"Of course I did, you're not going back are you?" 

As the two argued Lucrezia approached Katt. She spoke quickly. 

"I need you all to come now, Nullville is going to collapse." She frowned. 

"Why?" Katt gasped. The ground began to shake and buildings started to topple. 

"The sacrifice was needed to keep this place open, but you stopped it. And now we all have to leave." Lucrezia shouted at them and Katt looked back. 

"Not without him." She turned to go back as Michael pushed Lance through. Lucrezia and Giulietta followed, leaving Katt and Benjamin alone. 

"I'm not going so you'd better, before were both trapped here." He shouted to her, all around him AI began to deactivate. 

"Benjamin, go." Can a familiar voice. He turned and saw Andrew watching. 

"Not without you… You deserve the life I couldn't give you." 

"I'm long gone, but you still have a purpose." Andrew grabbed Benjamin's hands and waved Katt away. 

"Not without you." He cried. 

"But you do, finish our life's work Benjamin, get the hell outta here, and find El Rey!" Andrew shouted, eyes wet with tears. 

"You should've lived…" Benjamin sobbed, hugging him tightly. 

"You'll just have to live for both of us then." A second shock wave erupted and this time Andrew's chip deactivated. Benjamin stroked his cheek. 

"I'll do it… For you." He sobbed as he entered the portal and touched down on the other side. Smiling at everyone, he knew this time. He had work to do.


End file.
